Matt Wixon

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In the hallway of the Keller Central field house, there's a picture of three Central defenders holding a Lewisville player out of the end zone. It's from the final minute of a 21-17 victory last season.

"Probably the biggest play in school history," Central coach Bart Helsley said.

Junior Chris Flood is proud to be one of the defenders in the picture. But he wishes he could be part of more great football memories.

The chance for that ended during spring practice, when Flood, a free safety, ran up to make a tackle. The ball carrier's knee caught him under the chin, forcing Flood's head back and injuring his neck.

"I was momentarily paralyzed," Flood said.

Actually, the moment stretched out to a terrifying 15 minutes.

"I started crying because I wasn't going to be able to play football anymore," Flood said. "Then I started praying and asking God to watch over me, and I started to get feeling in my hands and feet."

He was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance still not knowing the severity of the injury. Less than an hour after he was preparing for his junior season, his jersey was being cut off to prepare for X-rays.

The doctor joked with Flood, trying to help him relax. But after the X-rays, the doctor's mood changed.

"She came back in with a real serious look on her face," Flood remembered, "and said, 'Don't move anything. He's got a broken neck.' "

The C-5 and C-6 vertebrae were fractured. Flood's football days were over. He would also need immediate surgery and to wear a halo brace for three months. That was the bad news.

But the news was overwhelmingly good, because the spinal cord suffered no permanent damage. Flood was lucky, his surgeon said. Somebody must be watching over him, because he wasn't supposed to be walking.

COURTNEY PERRY/DMN

When an injury in spring practice ended the football career for Chris Flood (foreground), his teammates were there to support him.

Soon Flood's friends and teammates were watching over him, visiting at the hospital and sending cards, magazines and games. The support was overwhelming.

"I cried when they brought me all those things," Flood said. "It was emotional."

The halo brace was removed Aug. 2, and Flood has gained most of his strength back. He's cleared to try out for the basketball team, and he wants to run track in the spring.

"I'm basically back to normal," he said.

But maybe a little more outspoken, especially when he's on the sidelines during games.

"It used to be me telling him what to do," said senior running back D'Andre Hicks, one of Flood's buddies. "Now he's telling me what to do. He's trying to coach."

mwixon@dallasnews.com

YEARBOOK MOMENT: During this month in 1992, a proposal to play all of the football state title games at one site was defeated by a 16-4 vote of the University Interscholastic League's legislative council. Last year, the UIL announced that the 5A Division I and II championship games would be played in San Antonio in 2006 and '07. Some believe it's the first step toward playing all the title games at the same location.

STAYING LATE: 9-5A is probably the deepest football district in the area, and it's definitely the one going deepest into the night. The first two weeks of district play have featured Plano East, Lake Highlands, Allen and Richardson Berkner in overtime games. The 9-5A offenses also seem to be ahead of the defenses, with winning teams averaging 40 points per game.